Burned-out employees are 'quiet quitting' their jobs in new trend to restore work-life balance

Do you ever feel like you're really invested in your work but the pay or the appreciation from your boss doesn't quite match the effort you put in? Well, for starters, you're not alone. There are many people who are stressed at their work and looking for a way out. A new trend called "quiet quitting" is seeing people reduce the effort they're putting into the job and drawing clear boundaries between the personal and professional. Many say they are still able to get work done but without the stress that comes with the job. Paige West, a digital creator, opened up about "quietly quitting" and how it helped her take control of her life. "When I was quiet quitting, I didn't want to constantly feel that stress of working that job and feeling like I needed to put my 1000% in," West told Good Morning America. "So I decided to scale that back and really just do the work that was required of me."

It's no secret that work-life balance has become so skewed to the point people are missing out on personal milestones, quality family time, and not doing things that bring them joy. Many believe workplaces only deserve the effort that the pay packet reflects and many feel they are being underpaid, so they believe that the company also deserves only as much. Since the pandemic, there has been a change in perspective with regards to work and how it shouldn't dictate your life. West recalled how difficult she found it working 9 to 5 at her desk while working from home during the pandemic. "I was just stuck at my desk all day from 9 to 5, at a minimum, working on my computer, staring at a screen. For me, that just wasn't the ideal situation," she said. The new trend is popular with those in their 20s and starting work. "Being connected to a mission or purpose is a high priority for the younger generation," said Jim Harter, chief workplace scientist at Gallup. "That's something they want but they're not experiencing in their current workplaces."

Remote working has continued for some despite the world carrying on with the coronavirus relatively under control. The line between home and work has blurred with people working remotely which has reinforced the need to draw clear boundaries between them. People don't want to see work eat into their personal time while at home and are limiting their effort to the minimum number of hours and prioritizing their personal lives. 

Clayton Farris, a freelance writer, posted a video explaining the new trend and said you could do it without actually deterring productivity. "I just heard about this term called Quiet Quitting, and I realized that is what I've been doing … against my will," said Farris. "It's about quitting the hustle culture that goes along with work in our society. I can still be a very productive, active worker and not have to focus on work 24 hours a day." People in the comments section said they were eager to take control of their life and not be consumed by work. "I completely switched off. I'm turning my focus and energy on myself and on what I would like to accomplish," wrote one person. "It’s called getting older why do u think old people are chill," joked another.

Rebecca Jarvis, ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent, says this mode of working appeals to those not looking to move up the ladder. "If your objective is work-life balance over income and maybe even job security and you're not looking for big raises and promotions, then this could work for you," said Jarvis.